What's New in CTAT 2.10

Features

Variable table viewer

Can be used to view variables to assist in writing formulas

Can be used to view variables while setting the start state (useful for Flash)

NtpClient (Flash only): Flash tutors now log a custom field with each transaction that stores the time as provided by the server using the Network Time Protocol (NTP) standard. This is useful for synchronizing the times of interactions between student and tutoring system with data collected using another system (e.g., data collected on hand-helds regarding student affect).

General Bug Fixes / Changes

CTAT2425 – Action label tooltip should distinguish between no hints and the default hint

CTAT2422 – Rename State dialog should provide default name

CTAT2421 – Hint window should be cleared when input focus shifts

CTAT2429 – Incorrect link from start state fails to match

CTAT2414 – TPA does not update variable table correctly

CTAT2415 – Bug in skill updating (i.e., knowledge tracing)

CTAT2425 – Action label tooltip should distinguish between no hints and the default hint

CTAT2440 – Server-side logging logs skill with no probability attribute for hint after error. CTAT will now calculate probability only on the 1st attempt on each (unique) step. Hence, if there’s already an error on step 7, then a hint request on step 7 shouldn’t calculate again.

CTAT2199 – Tutor doesn’t reconnect to the tutoring service if the same session ID is used – Can’t recreate.

CTAT1805 – Problem name in Java FractionAddition example is set incorrectly in .wme

CTAT2368 – Flash: CommTextInput start state text color is gray when ‘Disabled Text Color’ is set to black

CTAT2369 – Flash: CommTimer ‘Background Color’ parameter doesn’t work

CTAT2372 – Flash: for movieclip within a tutor, grading doesn’t occur on Tab or Enter. Solution is to use unique instance names for components, specify a tab order, include the CTATAPIDistribution component, and assign the following ActionScript class to the movieclip containing components: edu.cmu.hcii.ctat.CTATComponentContainer

CTAT2409 – Flash: components that use images don’t display if Flash Player 7 or earlier) — Need to set Flash Player version to 8 or higher in the Publish Settings for an interface with any components that rely on images (CommSkinnedDoneButton, CommHintButton, etc.). Tutor templates included with the release have this property set.

CTAT2416 – CommComboBox start state color doesn’t reset

CTAT2417 – Flash: Selecting File > New Graph from the menu does not clear the student interface

CTAT2432 – Flash: CommRadioButton isn’t “selected” when incorrect

CTAT2455 – CommButton should highlight when a hint or out-of-order step tells the student to use the button

CTAT2457 – Flash: No skill in tutor_message on second incorrect attempt

Flash

CTAT2349 – Flash: CommCheckBox isn’t checked if ‘selected’ parameter = true). Workaround is to set a state as the start state.

CTAT2433 – Flash: CommRadioButton isn’t “selected” in the start state

The component-specific methods The Correct Method, The InCorrect Method, and The Reset Method do not work when Suppress Student Feedback is turned on. The solution is to use a new CommShell parameter, MonitorLog, which will receive tool_messages and tutor_messages as they are logged.

In a Flash cognitive tutor, creating a start state no longer automatically generates working memory facts and templates for some components.

Flash components Jumble, Multiple Selection, and Media Multiple Selection have some known issues. Contact us if you’re interested in using these components.

Flash widgets can’t be modified in Set Start State mode.

CommCombobox does not work with some languages such as Japanese. The current workaround is to use HTML entities for these characters in these languages.

Both Flash and Java

CTAT2249 - Inconsistent behavior when clicking on a state.

CTAT2198 - Docked windows sometimes aren’t loaded on Mac

CTAT2210 - Demonstrating a step in an unordered graph that matches an existing step does no create a new link in the graph. The workaround is to temporarily change the graph to “ordered” to demonstrate the step.

In graphs with Suppress Student Feedback enabled, success and error-feedback messages are not displayed, but they are logged. The feedback should not be logged, since it never appeared to the student.

CTAT1927 - Current state (a node with bold text) in an unordered graph is incorrect for Jess tutors.

The JavasrcInstaller, used to set up source documentation for Java functions in the Formula Wizard, does not extract sources on the Mac. To do this manually, see Installing the Formula Wizard.

The enforceDone attribute of a behavior graph cannot be set from the CTAT user interface; it can only be set in the behavior graph XML using a text editor.

Upgrading an Interface to CTAT version 2.10

If you would like to use new CTAT widgets or components in an existing interface, you will need to upgrade that interface as described below. If you do not feel comfortable upgrading your interface, contact us and we will upgrade your interface.

Right-click on the folder containing the interface you'd like to upgrade, and click New TutorTemplate.java. In the "File Name" field, specify a name for this file that is anything but the name of the interface you're upgrading. All other fields can be left unchanged. It is not necessary to create a new subdirectory of Projects by modifying the Folder field, although you can if you prefer to do so.

Press Finish.

Expand the folder that contains the interface you're upgrading. You should see the .java and .class files for the interface you're upgrading, as well as the new .java file with the name you specified in the previous step.

Open both the new file and original interface file by double-clicking each of their names in the Files panel.

You should see both interfaces in "Design" mode. If you do not, click the button at the top titled "Design" for each interface. The new interface should contain only a blank panel.

For your original interface, view the widget objects in the interface
using the Component Inspector (Window > GUI Editing > Inspector). Within the Inspector panel (located on the bottom left of the NetBeans window by default), expand the TutorPanel object. This object has a blank icon. You should see a number of widgets appear within it.

Select all of the interface widgets. On Windows, this can be accomplished by clicking the first widget inside TutorPanel, then while pressing and holding shift, clicking the last widget.

Copy your widgets (CTRL+C on Windows, COMMAND+C on Mac).

View the new interface that you created in step 4. Select the JPanel in the Inspector, and paste the widgets (CTRL+V on Windows, COMMAND+V on Mac). You now have a working CTAT 1.5-compatible interface.

Run your new interface (SHIFT+F6) to verify that the upgrade procedure worked. If you encounter an error and the file will not run, contact us for assistance.